SOME LETTERS 



OF 



Ralph Izard 



TO 



Thomas Jefferson. 



I 



CONTRIBUTED BY 



WORTHINGTON C FORD. 



CHARLESTON. 

Walker, Evans & Cogswell Co., Printers. 

19U1. 




presi:nti;i) isy 



"A 



4^. 



SOME LETTERS 



OF 



Ralph Izard 



Thomas Jefferson 



CONTRIBUTED BY 



WORTHINGTON C. FORD. 



CHARLESTON. 

Walker, Evans & Cogswell Co., Printers. 

1901. 



[Fifty Copies Reprinted from the South Carolina Historical 
AND Genealogical Magazine for July, 1901.] 



T^, 



LETTERS OF RALPH IZARD. 

COMMUNICATED BY WORTHINGTON C. FORD, OF BOSTON. 
[k. IZAKD to JEFFERSON.] 

Tlie Elms, South Carolina, 27tii April 1784 
Dear Sir, 

I am much flattered by a very friendly letter which I 
received a few days a2:o from you. Nothing can be more 
pleasing than expressions of regard from those we esteem and 
love. You are so good as to promise me a letter now and 
then; be assured that I shall at all times be happy to hear 
from you. We have had repeated accounts of the disagreea- 
ble situation of Congress at Annapolis. That the States 
should be so inattentive to their interest is much to be 
lamented ; this is a matter I never think of but with a mixture 
of indignation and sorrow. How can the negligence of 
Maryland be accounted for ? Is she ignorant of the advan- 
tages to be derived from the residence of Congress ? or does 
she suppose, as the citizens of Philadelphia foolishly and 
presumptuously did, that it is impossible for them to go any 
where else ? At the commencement of the war I was well 
aware that at the end of it we should have difficulties to 
contend with. The inattention and even disrespect shewn to 
the federal government by almost every State in the Union, 
will be productive of the most serious and 1 fear fatal conse- 
quences, and was not one among the number of which I was 
at the time appreiiensive. 

You will have heard that our Legislature has passed the 5 
per cent law. Considerable opposition was ajiven to it by 
some of the ablest and most respectable men of the country. 
It was however carried by a majority of three to one; and I 
hope the conduct of the other States will make it unneces- 



sary to repeal it till our public debt is paid. Our Legislature 
have likewise shewn themselves remarkably moderate towards 
the refugees. The confiscation and amercement laws are in 
a great measure done away. In this also I hope the other 
States will follow our example. Would to God I could say 
that tranquility was perfectly restored to this State. Dissen- 
sions and factions still exist, and like the Hydra, when one 
head is destroyed, another arises. The British liave deprived 
us of a great deal of our property. The inconveniences aris- 
ing from their conflagrations and robberies will, however, in 
a short time be forgotten,. The animosity and hatred planted 
by them in the breasts of our citizens against each other, is 
the most serious injury they have done us. Some joined the 
enemy from inclination. Others, in the most difficult times, 
from compulsion, and believing the cause desperate and 
almost totally lost. Nine out of ten of those who received 
British protection T suppose to be of the latter description 
and had in the beginning shewn themselves both in council 
and in the field friendly to our cause. These can not, except 
in a few instances, forgive those who refused to bend to the 
power at that time existing in the State, and chose to commit 
their lives and property to the issue of the contest. 

1 entirely concur witli 3'ou in opinion respecting the cession 
of the back lands, and spoke of it several times during the 
course of last winter. The expedient you mention to settle 
the difference with our young sister, I think a good one; but 
1 fear she will not have wisdom enough to adopt it. 

I am settled upon an agreeable spot, about 1 8 miles from 
Charles Town. A plantation long neglected, but pleasantly 
situated and capable ol great improvement. This I am 
attempting; and my inclination M^ould lead me never to enter 
again into public life. 

[Rest on farming.] 



[r. IZAKD to JEFFERSON.] 

The Elms, 1()\^ June, 1T85. 
Dear Sir, 

I have lately received your favour of the 29*.^ Jany and at 
the same time 4 volumes of the Bibliotheque Physico-CEeono- 
mique. for which I am much obliged to you. As soon as I 
received your letter of 22^ May 1784, I laid the contents of 
it before our Chamber of Commerce and desired their senti- 
ments on the points you mentioned. Enclosed is a copy of 
their report which has already been transmitted to you. I 
send you likewise enclosed a copy of a paper which contains 
the sentiments of Mr. Hall, the collector of the customs, a 
very well informed merchant in Charleston on the same sub- 
ject. [ Another copy of this j)aper I enclosed you in my letter 
of last January, which I hope got safe to your hands. It 
will give me great pleasure to learn that those papers were 
received time enough to be of service to you in your nego- 
ciations. ) 

The backwardness which you mention of Great Britain 
toward America is very astonishing. It seems to be a contin- 
uation of the same bad policy which has already brought 
them into so much trouble, and whicli I think will bring 
them into more. If they were simply to check the extensive 
credit hitherto given and limit their exports to tliis country 
within moderate bounds, they would act wisely. But she is 
grasping at too much when she aims at the entire monopoly 
of the carrying trade. This has occasioned much ill will 
towards her in several parts of this country, particularly in 
Xew England. It is said that Great Britain has encouraged 
the piratical states to attack our vessels. If this could be 
proved, I should prefer a war against her rather than against 
Algiers. But it is a melanclioly fact that we are not in a 
condition to go to war with anybody. You are of opinion 
tliat we should go to war with the Barbarians rather than 
become tributary to them. The latter is certainly disgrace- 



6 

fill; but how shall we avoid it without falling into greater 
evils ? The reverses of America, under the present manage- 
ment, do not appear to be adequate to the discharge of the 
public debt. Where then shall we find resources to carry on 
war — a war too without a prospect of prizes to encourage 
adventurers. The injury that was done to the commerce of 
Great Britain during the late war, was not effected by the 
Continental frigates, but b}' privateers, and very few of 
those would be fitted. out against Tripoli, Tunis and Algiers. 
The Emperor's proceedings must before this time be mani- 
fested respecting Holland. The navigation of the Scheldt 
is certainly an important object. But if there should be a 
war, I think there must be deeper designs than the Scheldt. 
That matter is of no consequence to Russia. Holland may 
be deserted by some of her allies who wish to see the Stadt- 
holder sovereign of that country. The dismemberment of 
Poland has happened in our day, and I think it probable 
that there may be an active partition of that country on the 
death of Poniatowsky. There are many otlier arrangements 
which ambition and policy may dictate; and the war with 
Holland may be the mask under which the execution of them 
may be effected. For a valuable consideration the Czarina 
and the King of Prussia may even consent to make the 
empire hereditary in the House of Austria. 

These things are at a distance from us and we can think 
of them and hear of their being executed without much 
emotion. But our own affairs trouble me a good deal. We 
owe a large sum of money, and we are not taking proper 
measures to pay it. This is neither consistent with our 
interest, nor our honor. Our governments tend too much to 
Democracy. A handicraftsman thinks an apprenticeship 
necessary to make him acquainted with his business. But our 
back countrymen are of opinion that a politician may be 
born such (sic) as well as a poet. I live as mucli as possible 
in the country and shall continue a member of the Legislature 
as long as my constituents think that I can render them 



service. In no other situation will I ever be engaged iu 
public business. * * * j^_ Izard. 

[e. IZAKD to JEFFERSON. J 

Charleston, l?t July 1786. 
Dear Sir, 

I received a few weeks ago in the city your favour of so 
old a date as the 26t^ Sejjt. and am glad to find that the 
commercial papers which I sent you liad at last got to your 
hands. England is not disposed to enter into a treaty with 
us upon principles of equity and is determined to exclude us 
from the West Indian trade as much as possible. This is a 
very troublesome piece of business and the adventurers, 
particularly those from the northern States, have sustained 
and will continue to sustain considerable losses. The conduct 
of France with regard to her islands, unfortunately encour- 
ages the British government to persist. This appears to me 
impolitic, in many points, but particularly so in one. There 
are many well wishers to Great Britain in every State on this 
Continent, at all times ready to trump up imaginary causes 
of dissatisfaction^ and to draw invidious comparisons between 
the past and JDresent times. The present state of the com- 
merce of America with the West Indies certainly cannot be 
added to the catalogue of advantages which she has derived 
from the Revolution, and I should imagine that France 
would find her account in not letting America feel even that 
disadvantage. I have considered attentively, and I think 
impartially, what has been said on the propriety of the 
mother country's enjoying the monopoly of the commerce of 
her colonies, as a compensation for protection, and I think 
the arguments plausible, bat by no means conclusive. If 
France were to remove all restraints on this subject, G. 
Britain would unquestionably be compelled to follow her 
example. 

Our western posts are not to be delivered up, and the 
reason given is, because in some of the States the legislatures 



8 



have thrown obstructions in the way of the recovery of debts. 
I am sorry that sucli a pretext has been given ; but before the 
passing of the laws complained of, G. Britain did not show 
any disposition to give up the posts. Certain it is that if the 
courts of law were to be opened for the recovery of debts 
generally and without restrictions, and property made liable 
to be seized and sold by the sheriff for cash, many persons 
would be ruined, who have property to four times the value 
of their debts. The British merchants and the Tories who 
lost little or nothing by the war, are in possession of the 
greatest part of the specie in the country and would enrich 
themselves at the expense of the real friends of America who 
risked everything for her defence. This would doubtless be 
an evil of consider.ible magnitude; but in my opinion it 
would be better that the treaty should be fulfilled and the 
law take its course, than that a reproach should be cast on so 
many States of the Union. It is to be lamented that at the 
negociation of the general treaty of peace it had not been 
provided that no greater obstruction should be thrown in the 
way of tue recovery of British debts than those of the citizens 
of America, instead of the words which now stand in the 
treaty. The reasonableness of such a proposition must have 
been obvious to the British negociators and could not have 
been opposed. I have great doubts with regard to the utility 
of the posts in question. If the Spaniards had had the 
country ceded to them which those posts are intended to 
command, I believe it would be no disadvantage to the 
United States. But I am sorry the British should keep 
possession of them, and that we should be in so weak a con- 
dition as to be unable to compel them to do us justice. * * 

R. Izard. 

[R. IZARD TO JEFFERSON.] 

Dear Sir, Charleston, ¥V April, 1787 

^ I have lately been favoured with your letter of 18th. 
November, whicli went to New York, and from thence came 



to me here by the post. You mention the Hague, and are 
so obliging as to wish me there: for this mark of your friend- 
ship be pleased to accept of my thanks. Had the funds of 
the United States allowed them to make the appointment you 
allude to last year, I would have accepted of it,and devoted 
three years of my life to their service. At present I' feel 
much disinclined to it and most heartily wish that Mr. Madi- 
son may be elected, whenever the finances of Congress will 
admit of it. He is a member of the Continental Convention 
which is to meet in Philadelphia next month for tne purpose 
of revising the articles of Confederation. If the powers of 
Congress can be so far extended as to give efficacy the decisions 
of that bod3% the measure will assuredly contribute to the 
security and happiness of the Continent. At present our 
affairs are by no means in a desirable state. 

I agree, with you perfectly in opinion respecting the pro- 
priety of our cultivating the closest and most intimate con- 
nexion with France. We have already derived great benefit 
from her, and much greater may still be expected. We are 
under considerable obligations to you for your exertions 
respecting the commerce of every part of the continent, and 
I am confident that very beneficial consequences will result 
from a continuance of them. The copy of the letter from 
M. de Calonne to you which you enclosed me shews the good 
disposition of the ministry towards ms. Much remains how- 
ever yet to be done; and I am happy to think that whatever 
extension is given to the commerce of America may, by good 
management be made beneficial to France. I should be very 
glad if their manufactories could supply us as well, and as 
cheap as those of England with the coarse articles which are 
absolutely necessary in this country : I mean negro cloaths, 
blankets and implements of husbandry. When I was in 
Paris I secured from London a yard of negro cloath called 
there White Plains, and a broad hoe, and gave them to M. 
Abeille, who was a member of a society for the promotion of 
comn^erce., The cloth is near a yard wide, perfectly white, 



10 

very substantial, and comfortable wear for negros, and is 
from 12 to 14:^ pence sterling per yard, by the piece. The 
broad hoes are from 1 7 to 18 shillings and 6 pence, a dozen, 
and very good blankets 4 shillings and 3 pence each. I have 
just copied these articles, with their prices from an invoice 
lately received from Mess^^ Mannings and Vaughan in Lon- 
don, for the use of my plantations : they were all remarkably 
good. M. Abeille told me that the manufacturers of France 
would soon be able to supply us with the articles 1 have 
mentioned, as good and as I wish this could be done; and if 
it could I am persuaded that four-fifths of the planters in 
this State would deal with France in preference to England. 
You say that France could consume our whole crop of rice. 
This might easily be done if tlie matter were put in a proper 
train. It would give me much j^leasure to see it, and returns 
made entirely in the manufactures, wines &c. of France. It 
is supposed that France contains 24 millions of inhabitants. 
If each of them were to consume two pounds of rice in a year, 
the amount would be 96.000 barrels of 500 1^ which is more 
than our annual export of that article since the war. I have 
seen your letter to Mr Jay in which you mention the com- 
parative goodness of our rice with that of Italy, and you 
think ours is not sent to market in as good order as theirs. 
In this I am persuaded you are mistaken. When I was in 
Italy, I visited some of the best rice plantations in that 
country, and was surprised to find how inferior their manage- 
ment of the grain was to ours after they had got it into the 
barn yard. You may observe how much whiter our rice is 
than theirs, which must be owing to that circumstance. Our 
rice is more broken than theirs, which is occasioned by other 
causes; they clean it less than we do, and their grain is 
thicker in proportion to its length, resembling barley, which 
makes it less liable to be broken by the pestle. I have seen 
the grocers in Paris employed in picking out the whole grains 
from the broken ones. This is a needless trouble as one is 
just as good as the other. If you have observed the 



11 

same thing, perhaps that may have led yon to think that 
our rice was not in as good order as the Italian. I am desirous 
of trying how their rice would succeed ia this country; and tor 
that reason should be obliged to you if you could procure and 
send me any quantity of the seed from one to ten bushels. 
It might be easily shipped for this port from Marseilles; and 
the best seed should be chosen. I was in hopes that you might 
have been able to have induced the Portuguese to receive 
our rice on the same terms they did before the war. Lisbon 
used to take from us annually 20.000 barrels, and now there 
is none sent there, which is a considerable disadvantage to us. 
If Honfleur is made a free port, by proper management the 
greatest part of the rice which would otherwise be sent to 
Cowes, might be drawn there. It might be made a depot 
for all the goods of Europe consumed by America, and the 
ships of this country and of France, might return at once 
with whatever they wanted, -v^nthout having the trouble of 
ffoing farther up tlie Channel. This would be a stroke at 
the carrying trade of England and diminish in a considerable 
degree the nursery of their seamen. France would unques- 
tionably be beneiited by this. In my opinion a proper judg- 
ment of her prosperity can never be formed abstractedly; 
that of England must be her scale. Upon this idea my 
opinion was formed respecting the restrictions on our trade 
to the West India Islands. If they were entirely removed 
from those of France, England would be under the necessity 
of following the example, and her seamen would be dimin- 
ished. Her strength and prosperity depend entirely on the 
number of her seamen : but France has internal resources, 
and a great marine is oidy necessary for her, because her 
rival is possessed of one. * * * The war bore particu- 
larly hard on this State. Most of us have been considerably 
injured and I have had my share of the public calamity. I 
find myself in debt about £8.000 sterling, with an estate 
which ought not to feel any inconvenience from such a 
sum. * * ^ B,a: Izard. 



12 



[K. IZAKD to JEFFERSON.] 

Charles Town S*? April 17S9. 

;«■ * * My acknowledgments to you for the yery able and 
active part you have taken respecting the staple commodity 
of this country. The price of rice is considerably lower here 
how than it has been since the peace. One great canse of 
this, 1 suppose, must be the total loss of the Portugal market, 
which is now supplied from Brazil. This is a loss to us 
w^hich there seems to be no hope of recovering. Dr. Turn- 
bull, a physician of eminence in this city, resided several 
years at Constantinople and other parts of the Turkish 
dominions. I have had many conversations with him on the 
subiect of rice, and he is of opinion that Constantinople 
alone might take off the whole of our crop at a better price 
than is obtained at present. The Barbary corsairs deter our 
merchants from venturing into the Mediterranean. Before 
the Revolution, several ships loaded with rice went from 
hence to Constantinople and sold their cargoes well : at 
present, I do not know if ihey would be admitted there, as 
we have no treaty with the Grand Seignor. The French, 
however, might for some time be the carriers. Will you be 
so good as to turn this matter in your thoughts ? It is an 
object of considerable magnitude, and may be of infinite 
service to this country. 

You have without doubt had a list transmitted 1o you of 
the members of both branches of the new government. The 
bad weather and equinoctial winds have detained me here, 
but I expect to embark to-morrow for New York. Every 
man of common sense and common affection for America 
must be strongly affected by the consideration of the humili- 
ating state into which we are plunged. The evil has arisen 
principally from the want of an efficient and energetic govern- 
ment, pervading every part of the United States. By what- 
ever appellation therefore, gentlemen may choose to be distin- 
guished, whether by federal or by anti- federal, I hope we 



13 



shall not be wasting time with idle discussions about amend- 
ments to the Constitution, but that we shall go to work imme- 
diately about the finances, and endeavor to extricate ourselves 
from our present embarrassed and disgraceful situation. * •^ * 

R. Izard. 



011 782 



^^: 



754 1 # 



NsH 



K 



*.^:^ 



.^^.^jr^gj. 



i4 .a./. 



